How to wash clothes by hand in a sink, bucket or bathtub

Step by step: how to wash clothes by hand in a sink, bucket or bathtub

1. 1

   Check labels and sort

   Read each care tag. A tub of water with a hand means hand wash; a circle means dry clean. Wash darks, brights and new pieces separately, since hand washing does not stop dye from running.

2. 2

   Clean the basin and fill it

   Rinse the sink or tub so no cleaner or hair is left, put in the plug, and fill it with cool or lukewarm water. Use cold for silk, wool and anything that might bleed. A sink holds 2 to 3 items; a bathtub takes a small load.

3. 3

   Add a little detergent and mix

   Stir in a small amount of mild liquid detergent, about a capful for a sink or a few capfuls for a tub, and swish it with your hand until it dissolves. Too much soap means extra rinsing and leftover residue.

4. 4

   Pretreat any stains

   Dab a drop of detergent on collars, underarms and spots and rub the fabric gently against itself. On sturdy cotton you can use a soft brush. Leave it a few minutes before the full wash.

5. 5

   Submerge and swish for 3 to 5 minutes

   Push the clothes under, then gently swish, squeeze and lift them for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not scrub, twist or stretch. Leave lightly soiled items to soak up to 30 minutes if you like, but no longer for bright colors.

6. 6

   Drain and rinse until clear

   Drain the dirty water, refill with clean cool water and squeeze the clothes again. Repeat until no suds appear when you press the fabric, usually two or three rinses. Leftover detergent makes fabric stiff and attracts dirt.

7. 7

   Press out water without wringing

   Gather each piece into a ball and press it against the side of the basin. Then lay it on a dry towel, roll the towel up firmly and press down. Wringing stretches knits and strains seams.

8. 8

   Dry flat or on a hanger

   Lay sweaters and knits flat on a dry towel or rack and reshape them. Hang woven shirts and dresses on wide hangers. Dry indoors or in shade for silk and bright colors, and flip flat items after a few hours.

How to wash clothes in a bathtub

Use a bathtub the same way as a sink, just with more water and more detergent: it is the easiest way to hand wash a whole load, jeans, bedding or a heavy coat.

• Scrub and rinse the tub first so no cleaning product residue or bleach is left to spot the clothes.
• Fill it about a third to half full with cool or lukewarm water and dissolve a few capfuls of liquid detergent.
• Kneel on a folded towel and work the clothes with your hands, or agitate them with a clean plunger reserved for laundry. Swish for 5 to 10 minutes for a full load.
• Drain, refill and rinse at least twice. Wet jeans and towels are heavy, so press the water out against the tub wall in sections before lifting them.
• Hang heavy items over the tub or a shower rod to drip before moving them to a rack.

A bathtub wash also handles a pile of muddy kids’ clothes; see how to get mud out of clothes for the brushing step first.

Water temperature and drying by fabric

Cool water and a gentle touch suit almost everything; what changes is how you dry it.

Woolite’s silk guide says to use cold water unless the label says otherwise, not to wring silk because it loses strength when wet, to blot it with a clean white towel, and to dry it indoors away from direct sunlight. Its wool guide says to keep wool out of the dryer, dry knits flat and hang woven wool. For linen specifics, see how to wash linen clothes.

Can you use the hand wash cycle instead?

Often yes, for sturdier hand-wash items in a mesh bag, but true hand washing is still safest for silk, lace, embellished pieces and anything vintage.

Tide’s guide to laundry symbols explains that the hand wash symbol means you should not wash the item on a regular machine cycle, and that a machine’s hand wash setting may be safe if you protect the garment in a mesh bag or wash it alone. Tide’s delicates advice is to fill a clean sink with lukewarm or cold water and a small amount of delicates detergent, agitate lightly for three to five minutes, rinse well and dry flat, and to use a mesh bag for bras and lingerie in the machine.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using hot water, which shrinks wool and makes dyes bleed.
• Pouring in too much detergent, which takes many rinses to clear.
• Wringing or twisting wet knits, which stretches them out of shape.
• Hanging a wet sweater, which pulls it longer under the weight of the water.
• Soaking bright or dark pieces with whites, or leaving colors to soak for hours.
• Washing in a sink or tub that still has bleach or bathroom cleaner residue.